See this is where the Catholics have a problem. Central authority. Protestants probably rape little boys just as much, but they are individual cells like Al Quida, so you can't just go after the leadership.

EvilEgg:See this is where the Catholics have a problem. Central authority. Protestants probably rape little boys just as much, but they are individual cells like Al Quida, so you can't just go after the leadership.

Protestants have a lot of problems, particularly the fundamentalist types, but at least they don't have that whole forced celibacy thing going on.

seventypercent:EvilEgg: See this is where the Catholics have a problem. Central authority. Protestants probably rape little boys just as much, but they are individual cells like Al Quida, so you can't just go after the leadership.

Protestants have a lot of problems, particularly the fundamentalist types, but at least they don't have that whole forced celibacy thing going on.

I wonder about that. Now I understand there is a basic human drive for sex, now would forced celibacy pervert that into pedophilia? I kind of doubt it.

Is it more prevalent in priests than the population at large or do we just hear about it more?

Trivia Jockey:That would be hilarious. I think it would put a dent in that whole "infallible" theory, huh?

Only if you haven't got the slightest clue how that works.

That said, I was never a fan of his, preferred a couple of other candidates over him to succeed John Paul II, and think that he needs to go if this keeps going much further. The laity are fed up with this.

EvilEgg:I wonder about that. Now I understand there is a basic human drive for sex, now would forced celibacy pervert that into pedophilia? I kind of doubt it.

What would happen if priests were no longer forced into celibacy is that there would be more young Catholic men willing to join the clergy. Honest, heterosexual, non-pedophile family men. Hopefully, this would prevent so many kiddie-diddlers from reaching positions of power because they'd have some competition.

EvilEgg:I wonder about that. Now I understand there is a basic human drive for sex, now would forced celibacy pervert that into pedophilia? I kind of doubt it.

Is it more prevalent in priests than the population at large or do we just hear about it more?

My theory is two-fold: Because the church is against homosexuality, many homosexual faithful join the priesthood, as a way of atoning for their "sins." And they probably remain abstinent for many years. But as time goes on, the urge for sex grows. They can't just go hit up a bar, they can't just chat up some other maybe-gay priest. But there are these boys there... boys who respect them and are taught how important they are. They'll stay quiet. And thus, the years of living completely abnormally in an attempt to not be gay twists them up so badly mentally, they use their power to satiate their basic human sexual needs in the most wrong way. I consider pedophilia mental illness, and it's entirely possible to develop a host of them in the wrong conditions.

Alcoholism is very high among Catholic priests, compared to other professions.

Alternately, I'd imagine there are also a decent enough number of pedophiles, who rather than face their issues, join the priesthood thinking they could escape them. And probably a very, very small percentage who join just so they can fairly "safely" be pedophiles, but I really think it would ultimately be a statistically insignificant number.

I feel like the church lightening up on homosexuality and allowing their clergy to marry and have normal lives would put an end to a lot of this.

**note: I do not think homosexual = pedophile. I think in this case, though, it can twist a homosexual into one. Much like the men in prison who are heterosexual start having sex with other men, something they'd never have done had they not been in that situation.

Rev. Skarekroe:EvilEgg: I wonder about that. Now I understand there is a basic human drive for sex, now would forced celibacy pervert that into pedophilia? I kind of doubt it.

What would happen if priests were no longer forced into celibacy is that there would be more young Catholic men willing to join the clergy. Honest, heterosexual, non-pedophile family men. Hopefully, this would prevent so many kiddie-diddlers from reaching positions of power because they'd have some competition.

I agree with this. I think some pedophiles go into the clergy hoping the forced celibacy will help them control their urges, and others go because it puts them in a position of trust and access to children. In any case, the celibacy requirement is totally antiquated and probably keeps a lot of good, decent, intelligent Catholics out of the priesthood.

EvilEgg:I wonder about that. Now I understand there is a basic human drive for sex, now would forced celibacy pervert that into pedophilia? I kind of doubt it.

Is it more prevalent in priests than the population at large or do we just hear about it more?

Well, I think most people would agree that lifelong celibacy is a wholly unnatural condition, from the perspective of human biology. My opinion (and I stress that it is just an opinion) is that when somebody who has chosen this "path" ends up spending large quantities of unsupervised time with young children, shenanigans will happen.

(By the way, this isn't an "anti-Catholic" stance; it's an anti-celibacy stance.)

swingerhead:Wasnt the first "pope" Peter married and had children? Where did the celabacy come from?

iirc, the church realized that it wasn't going to be able to continue to support the families of its priests in perpetuity so a tradition of celibacy was adopted. it's not biblical law or anything and could easily be changed if a pope were so inclined.

vernonFL:The Pope is infallible in matters dealing with the rules of the Catholic Church. He is NOT infallible in every single thing he does.

Isn't that splitting of hairs kind of objectively ridiculous? How can a man be infallible at some things, but not others? I mean, if a guy can make a mistake, what magically prevents him from making a mistake when it comes to the Church? Stupid.

Trivia Jockey:Isn't that splitting of hairs kind of objectively ridiculous? How can a man be infallible at some things, but not others? I mean, if a guy can make a mistake, what magically prevents him from making a mistake when it comes to the Church? Stupid.

Because the Pope gets to make up the rules. Therefore, when he makes up a rule, he's right. QED.

Trivia Jockey:vernonFL: The Pope is infallible in matters dealing with the rules of the Catholic Church. He is NOT infallible in every single thing he does.

Isn't that splitting of hairs kind of objectively ridiculous? How can a man be infallible at some things, but not others? I mean, if a guy can make a mistake, what magically prevents him from making a mistake when it comes to the Church? Stupid.

He's infallible in the stuff God tells him. Because God told him. I don't know your beliefs, but if you believe the Pope talks to God, it makes sense that what God tells him is infallible. It also makes sense that, you know, maybe God doesn't have him under control or anything and he also has normal, regular old "people-thoughts".